Shotlist

Shows the daily life and work of the army nurse, including training and off-duty activities.
Shows the daily life and work of the army nurse, including training and off-duty activities, often in a romanticized fashion. States the narrator: "In her there is the tenderness of all women, of mother and sister and friend. Her voice and touch lend encouragement, instill hope. It's the surgeon who saves a man's life; it's the nurse whose tender care helps him to live." While many of the scenes are staged, some shots appear to be candid. The film opens with a melodramatic near-death sequence of a wounded soldier who is semi-conscious. The narrator urges, "Hang on kid," while the picture becomes wavy. Finally, through his stupor, a smiling woman's face comes into focus. It's the Army nurse, whom the narrator characterizes as "a nurse first, a woman second, an officer third."


The film shows the daily life and work of the nurse including training and off-duty activities often in a romanticized fashion. While many of the scenes are staged, some shots appear to be candid. (Eileen Clancy observes:) Lesbian subtext. Army nurses play softball game against Army WACs. Nurses golfing and swimming together. Hidden history. Slogan suggested by narrator as appropriate: "A nurse first, a woman second, an officer third." "In her there is the tenderness of all women, of mother and sister and friend. Her voice and touch lend encouragement, instill hope. It's the surgeon who saves a man's life; it's the nurse whose tender care helps him to live." Film opens with melodramatic near-death sequence of wounded soldier who is semi-conscious. Narrator says stuff like "Hang on kid." The picture becomes wavy. Finally, through his stupor, a smiling woman's face comes into focus. It's the Army nurse. Shows women (nurses) in basic training on hikes, going through gassed areas and climbing fences. Mobile hospital or field hosptial being built.
Key scenes include: women (nurses) in basic training, on hikes, going through gassed areas and climbing fences; the erection of a mobile or field hospital; an excellent shot of feet going into beat-up army boots; nurses' life in camp, including eating rations, ironing, haircuts and shampooing (all outdoors); a sequence on the uses of a G.I. helmet, as personal washbasin, cooking pot, laundry, and dishpan; writing letters home; a remarkable shot of a man being assisted in smoking a cigarette by a nurse who has rigged up a tin can suspended over his sickbed; much gentle tending to the ill; trains transporting the wounded from the field hospitals to the larger, general hospitals, interiors of trains, showing soldiers in elaborate casts resting on bunkbed cots, reading The Stars and Stripes; evacuation by air ("flying hospitals"); nurses assisting surgeons as they don gowns gloves, laying out surgical instruments and typing up records; Gary Cooper smilingly participating in a show for the troops; good shots of army audience; Army nurses playing softball against Army WACs; nurses golfing and swimming together; excellent closeups of smiling nurses; and a pitch for purchasing war bonds. The film also shows a group of nurses receiving military decorations, including shots of a group of nurses who were Japanese POWs for three years. Says the narrator, "They asked only that they be returned to duty for they could never forget the faces of American men tortured and killed by the enemy."

Excellent shot of feet going into beat-up army boots. Shows nurses' camp life: eating rations, ironing, haircuts and shampooing all outdoors. Sequence on the uses of a G.I. helmet: being used as a personal washbasin, cooking pot, laundry, and dishpan. Writing letters home. Remarkable shot of a man being assisted in smoking a cigarette by a nurse who has rigged up a tin can which is suspended over his sickbed. Much gentle tending to the ill. Trains transport the wounded from the field hospitals to the larger, general hospitals. Interiors of trains show soldiers in elaborate casts resting on bunkbed cots, reading the STARS AND STRIPES. Evacuation by plane as well, "flying hospitals." Nurses assist in the donning of surgical gowns and gloves; lay out surgical instruments and type up records. Gary Cooper smilingly participates in a show for the troops. Good army audience shot. Nurses receiving military decorations. This includes shots of a group of nurses who were Japanese P.O.W.'s for three years. "They asked only that they be returned to duty for they could never forget the faces of American men tortured and killed by the enemy." Excellent close-ups of smiling nurses (real people, not actors). The head army nurse speaks unsmilingly, in a severe uniform, about army nurses and patients. She then makes a pitch for the purchase of war bonds.
nurses and nursing women gender world war II WWII
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